Saturday, December 31, 2011

Well, it was a wonderful year for Endstation. To begin, I want to thank all of the wonderful artists we worked with in 2011. From all the wonderful performers at Sonnets and Chocolates and Broadway in the Blue Ridge, to all of the wonderful artists we worked with all summer during the Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival. It was our most ambitious summer to date, touring schools, hosting a visiting company, producing our first musical, and once again, heading into the great outdoors with Shakespeare.

Sean MacLaughlin from Broadway's Phantom of the Opera works with EC Glass High School students before the Broadway in the Blue Ridge concert.

Aaron and Melissa perform Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island at Madison Heights Elementary School

Audiences gather for Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island at Sweet Briar College

George, Walter, Sergio and Michael did an incredible job with their "Sponsor an Artist" campaign, led by Angie Gallagher

Endstation is truly about community. Our incredible artists, interns, production staff, volunteers and board members make what we do possible. I feel truly blessed to create work with all of these individuals every year. This year was very moving for me, because so much excellent work was put into every part of the season. I felt 2011 was our highest caliber of work artistically. I am immensely proud of what we produced and I think this bodes well for what we can accomplish in 2012.

This year we hosted Whole Theatre's Cry of the Mountain

Endstation knows how to have a good time. Above is an example of the dynamic energy Endstation brings to Central Virginia every summer. Here is Endstation Actor Walter Kmiec Karaoking it up with his fiance Jean at The Briar Patch, our Twelfth Night sponsor.

Production interns and staff hanging lights for Dan Gallagher's lighting design and building Krista Franco's set design for Assassins.

The incredible Assassins cast rehearsing under the music direction of Randall Speer and the direction of Chad Larabee

Lighting designer Dan Gallagher focusing lights

Assassins cast

So much goes into producing each season, that the audience doesn't see. Hours of rehearsals, hours of building sets, constructing costumes, focusing lights, and building props. Also, hours go into marketing, planning, and raising money. It is exhausting but rewarding. I love spending my life creating theatre. I get to meet so many selfless people who are also dedicating their time to share something special with this community.

This summer our artists had the pleasure working Sweet Briar's high school program, Blur

Actors rehearsing Twelfth Night at dusk

Production building the Twelfth Night set

Jessica, Melora, and Rachel performing Twelfth Night

Lights at Twelfth Night come on

Our audiences are why we work so hard. We love you all. I am also thankful for all of our ticket buyers, subscribers, and donors. Because of you, we can continue to bring theatre to hills of Central Virginia. There is something really special happening on the campus of Sweet Briar College every summer and it is because of your participation that we continue to grow.

Audiences at the opening night of Twelfth Night

Walter enjoys a glass of wine at a local vineyard

I am excited about what 2012 holds. This summer we continue to create the kind work that has forged out identity. We are producing TWO outdoor shows (Comedy of Errors and Macbeth) and continue to collaborate with area vineyards to bring you great local wine. We are also excited to produce our second musical, Big River. Along with our season, we continue to host the Playwright's Initiative as Associate Artistic Director Michael Stablein leads a new campaign to create more original work about and for Central Virginia that we can produce as a part of future summer seasons. In the pipeline are an original play about the African American history of Sweet Briar College and an original bluegrass inspired musical.

A reading at the 2011 Playwright's Initiative

So, goodbye 2011. You were a great year. Hello 2012. Excited to produce some great work in the coming months!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Hello Blogosphere! Its your resident lighting designer checking in. I hope everyone is having a great Fall! I am missing all my Endstation peeps, but its been great to hear what everyone is up to. I recently worked on a new production called Costa Rehab about three Iraq vets recovering in an Army hospital and the nurses who help them adjust to new realities. If you are in New York, please check it out! It runs November 3-19. http://www.mtworks.org/costa-rehab.html

I have also been working on launching a website showcasing some of my lighting work. As any freelance designer will tell you, finding work is a full time job. Please check out the site:

Thanks to Joshua Mikel who helped with the layout of the site. He is here in Lock Haven, PA for the premier of his play Shelter at Lock Haven University.

Here is an image for an opera I designed: Ipigenia at Aulis that is up on the new website.

In addition, we have started work on the 2012 BRSTF season. Chad, Krista and I are starting converstations about Big River and we are hard at work on lighting solutions for our outdoor productions. I know its a ways off, but I can't wait to get back and see these shows come together. Here is a research image for Big River that I was drawn to.

And of course an update on what most folks are asking about..... Parker Clementine. While she is still tiny, she is growing like a weed and is now walking. We are gearing up for our first birthday party! She desperately misses her adoring Endstation Family.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Endstation's resident playwright Joshua Mikel here to fill you in on a little of what I do in the offseason.

While most of the company members' plates are full with preparations for next season, my job as resident playwright when I'm not in residence is basically what it is when I am: to write (just in less beautiful locales). But even more so, my job when I leave Amherst is to seek productions for the plays I've written. So I've been writing, rewriting, seeking out folks to produce my stuff, and luckily have had some good fortune thanks to it.

(The first read through of "Aesop, Come Back!" at Mount Paran with directors Meagan Morgan and Adam Slocum and the 27 actor cast!)

While up in Amherst this summer, I was in early talks about writing a commissioned piece with an old friend of mine and FSU alum, Meagan Morgan, who is the theatre director at Mount Paran Academy in Kennesaw, Georgia. I did a great deal of research for the piece up in Amherst which would eventually become "Aesop, Come Back," a modern adaptation of (my favorite) Aesop's fables. It went into rehearsals soon after my return from Virginia, and eventually opened with seven performances in one undoubtedly tiring weekend for the actors and crew. I got a chance to make it up for a number of the rehearsals and finally the last performance, and was so proud of the work Meagan, Adam (codirector), her crew, and wildly talented group of 27 (yes, Twenty. Seven!) middle school actors had done. After the performance, I made some small changes to the piece cutting the proverbial fat and shipped it off for the folks at Playscripts to consider for publication, as I think it would be an excellent piece for middle schools looking to cater to a huge group of actors. I'll be sure to brag about that if I get some good news back from the Playscripts folks.

("Shelter" Poster I created for the production at LHU)

This year at our festival Ad Hoc reading series I workshopped a piece I wrote called "Shelter." It's a play about three siblings trapped in their parent's bomb shelter post apocalypse, and it's maybe a bit more cheery than that might lead you to believe. After the reading, Endstation's education director, Angie Gallagher, got in touch with me about producing the piece up at Lock Haven University where she's on faculty. I, of course, agreed. It's rarely that easy to find productions for one's plays, but then again, I've never gotten a premiere production that didn't at first begin with a friend championing my work.

The best part of the deal is that the LHU student association and Players Club (their theatre troupe) found the funds to have me up for the beginning of the process and have me back for the production. So just a couple weeks ago I went up for the beginning of rehearsals, and was able to work with Angie and the actors. During my stay I had some invaluable time to make changes on the script alongside the team, and left having penned three new drafts of the play, worked out some huge logistical issues, and got it to a spot where I think I can't do much more with it until I see it produced. I even got an early look at the set for the piece from Lock Haven's technical director and set designer David Tidwell.

(Undressed set rendering for "Shelter" at LHU by David Tidwell)

You can see more about the production by following the Facebook page the Lock Haven team created here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lock-Haven-University-Presents-the-First-Production-of-Shelter/225602160836641

While I was up at Lock Haven I also received the good news that my play "The Red Pants Blue Pants Marionette Spectacular," (a one act comedic farce) which had a closed reading up at this year's festival was a finalist for the Thornton Wilder Playwriting award, and would be published by Playscripts Inc. I think it will be a good fit for high school competitions. You'll soon be able to read and order books of the play here: http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=2378

And the good news kept on coming when I received word from Playscripts that my 2010 Endstation Post Haste piece "PIRATES! Theodore Thud and the Quest for Weird Beard," which was published by Playscripts earlier in 2011 would be receiving its first production from none other than Ashley Byrne, a Lynchburg native, and director at Holy Cross Regional Catholic High School. They're planning to do a production November 3rd for the community at 6 PM. Please check it out!!! It's a ton of fun for kids, and in the vein of my other TYA play performed at this year's festival "Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island."

(Holy Cross' production of "PIRATES!" in rehearsal)

My next project I'm writing is a ten minute piece for our good friend, playwriting initiative alum, and artistic director of Tympanic Theatre Company in Chicago Dan Caffrey for a night of ten minute plays they're calling "Deliver Us" based on the album "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen. It promises to be a good time, and they've assembled one hell of a group of playwrights to write the pieces that will be performed.

Well, I guess that's enough braggin' and BSin' for now. I absolutely can't wait to be back up to Amherst next summer. Until then, take care and thanks for reading!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fall is definitely here in Virginia, the air is beginning to get cooler, the trees are beginning to slowly transform and put on their autumn colors, everywhere you look you see harvest decor, and many traditions that come with this season are taking place. Pumpkin patches, hiking, festivals, and so much more. Soon enough you will see little ones and not so little ones, out and about for annual costume parties and trick- or- treating.

For Endstation, the month of October means one big thing, the annual Wine and Garlic Festival hosted by Rebec Vineyards. Every year for the past five years we have graciously be allowed to set up a booth at the festival to spread the word about the company and promote our upcoming summer season. It always proves to be a great time, and we have had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and visit with some with familiar faces over the two day event each year.

This past Saturday I got an early start, jumped in the car and headed out to Sweet Briar to pick up Krista Franco (Co-Founder & Resident Scenic Designer) and her husband Drew who were in town to help work the event. We were glad they could make it, however Geoff (Co-Founder, Artistic Director) and Ashley (Communications Director, Box Office Manager) Kershner were missed by all of us this year. We packed up the final items in the car and headed out to the vineyard. The weather was cool and crisp, the drive was lovely, and we were all looking forward to a great day.

We pulled right up to our tent, unloaded and set about the task of getting the booth ready to receive patrons who be making their way in shortly. One of the great things about this time of year is that although cool in the morning it usually warms up by mid morning and when the sun is out the weather is just gorgeous. This year did not disappoint and there was not a cloud in the sky, which we knew was going to be great for the number of people coming out to the festival. We usually have our endstation wares available for purchase (tees, bumper stickers, etc..) and normally raffle off a wine basket throughout the weekend. This year the fine folks at Ankida Ridge Vineyard donated some of the items in the basket and we were happy to promote them through the weekend.

One of the new things that we did this year was offer a "photo booth" where people could dress up in hats and masks, hold a sign and pose for a picture. Krista decided to test out some of the props and had a little fun early on Saturday.

We were on the opposite side from where we usually are set up and it proved to be an awesome spot as folks would stop by the booth soon after they picked up their wine glassess and wanted to check us out. We were able to jump right in and start promoting the 2012 Season . Some had heard of us before, however several individuals had not but were excited to learn more. The mailing list was growing, flyers were being handed out, some raffle tickets were being sold, and before we knew it more troops showed up in the form of board member Jeffery Price and his lovely wife Laura. I am convinced that Mr. Price could sell ice to an eskimo! He is huge endstation fan and wants to make sure everyone else is too. He even got in on the photo booth fun!

(sneak attack on endstation friend Wiley)

The rest of the day went well as we continued to talk to new people, visit with friends as they stopped by, promote the season, and sell raffle tickets....a man on huge stilts even stopped by!

We wrapped up in the late afternoon, and stored things away for the next day of the festival. Sunday dawned and brought more beautiful weather to the vineyard. Historically Sundays at the festival tend to be a little bit more low key, and even though there may be less people out, the atmosphere is still the same and folks have a great time. We got to meet more new people, other familiar faces stopped by, additional names added to our mailing list, and more raffle tickets were sold.

Overall, it was another great year and time well spent. Thank you to all of our volunteers that came out to lend a hand and thanks to all the fans of endstation old and new that stopped by to say hello. We were able to talk to a lot of new folks, and make some wonderful connections. There are many exciting things that will be happening between now and the next summer season, so make sure to stay tuned and in the meantime, have a wonderful fall season and cheers!